October 25, 2011 at 4:41pm
Darren this is what I always used but even I have rolled my personal birds in newpaper and have had them stained in ink,and your right there are many opionions in the industry,I just use this as my standard. Hope this helps.You have some great post on here. Good stuff
Field Care Guide
Perhaps the most important thing you can do to protect your specimen prior to delivery to the taxidermist is to place the bird in a heavy-duty, sealable FREEZER BAG before placing the bird into the freezer.
Most of today’s freezers are frost-free and therefore they are designed to immediately begin to draw moisture out of the feet, wings, head and bill of a bird, creating problems for your taxidermist. While these issues can be addressed, they can be prevented by the use of a large heavy-duty Freezer Bag to assure getting back the best mount possible. For larger birds such as Geese or Turkey, roll them tightly in Black Trash Bags, tape securely, and freeze.
Pin Feathers – Feathers that are not fully developed are called Pin Feathers. These feathers are not set in the skin yet and many, if not most, will fall out during the mounting process. Most of them will not fluff properly and this prevents proper grooming of the bird. Early Season birds are most susceptible to having pinfeathers. Your taxidermist will be able to inspect the bird and will consult with you in regards to ascertaining the mount-ability of the bird.
Immature Birds - 1st year birds, those that hatched during the early summer may not have pin feathers, however they may not be fully feathered and moreover they may not have the color that a more mature bird has. These juvenile birds are not the best as far as specimen selection, but can however be mounted. If you’re not sure, ask a seasoned hunter or your taxidermist what he thinks regarding the condition/age of the bird. Try to harvest as mature a specimen as possible for mounting.
Field Care – Once a Trophy Bird has been downed, taking care of the bird prior to getting it in the freezer is also an important part of assuring a quality mount. Never hang a Trophy Bird intended to be mounted on a Strap or carry it by the neck. This damages the small feathers in this area and can cause problems in mount quality. Handle the bird by the feet and keep it separate from the other birds. Keep the bird cool or on ice and bag it for the freezer as soon as possible. The better the bird received by the taxidermist, the better the mount received by the customer.
Other Concerns – Broken Bones are repairable, however a damaged wing may limit the poses that the bird can be mounted in. Many times, Standing poses are used to hide damage to primary feathers rather than mounting the bird in a flying pose and being disappointed with the final result. Damage to the Feet and/or Bill is not an issue for an experienced avian taxidermist and problems in these areas are easily repaired. Blood and dirt is not a problem and can be removed with proper washing techniques. Birds with large shot holes have to be inspected on a case by case basis, but most can be sewed and covered with proper wing or feather placement.
Remember, a quality bird taxidermist will always advise you to save your money should you bring in an un-mountable bird. In regards to a marginal bird, be open to discussing the best pose for the bird. In order to get the best results possible for your bird mount, always take care in getting the bird to the taxidermist in the best possible condition.
